Comments

BigErn

Jease, there sure seems to be plenty of officers in this town. I know what the figures say, but figures can be misleading.

To bring up drug use is a little bit of a reach of a reason to up the budget. Drug use always fluctuates year to year. You can't put "real" numbers on it. I'm quite confident the number of officers doesn't make one bit of difference in the drug use. They want to say it does, but it doesn't.

It's similar to all the crackdowns on safe driving they do around the state. The state grants programs like that all the time to prevent fatal car accidents. Guess what? Even with all that enforcement, car accident fatalities rose last year and they're on pace this year to beat last year. People will just screw up and get in fatal accidents. It's tragic, but all the enforcement in the world won't prevent it. It's the same story with the drugs.

It's funny the Department was able to outfit their fleet with new Explorers relatively quickly. Weird how th

BigErn

Another option they can look at doing is cutting salaries a bit. Or at the least, a pay freeze for awhile. The officers in this city, and county, make PLENTY of money. Especially the ones in administration. I think it's plenty fair to look at that as an option as well.

To come to the council and basically talk gloom and doom reminds me of the School Board when they wanted a new referendum passed every other year.

Enough of all this. Time for government in this city to buck up a little bit and figure out a solution instead of throwing the hands in the air, speaking the "doom and gloom" talk and asking for more money.

SmallTownSavior

This may be the most ridiculous thing I have read in the 10+ years I have been reading the Sentinel. First, the US average ratio for police per 1000 residents is 2.7. Fairmont is reporting 1.39 in a community that has very low crime (specifically violent crime) and is shrinking in population. Second, it has never been proven that more police officers equals less drug use among a community. The War on Drugs has failed and this "funding" needs to go towards treatment programs, not door busters. Get real Fairmont, you provided no proof that WHEN you had 17 officers (2 on narcotics) that the rate of use went down. Get your priorities straight and solve this problem the right way. Citations: *******www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/police/, ***********city-data****/crime/crime-Fairmont-Minnesota.html

ezrider

They need to tighten up there spending just like everyone else has done in these times of cut backs and downsizing. My wage was frozen for four years and when it did come to a wage adjustment it was 2% nothing for the three years prior. Tighten the belt and do without like the rest of us have to.

whataworld

ZooKeeper

At one time the Fairmont Police Department was a member of the Minnesota River Valley Drug Task force until they became greedy on a seizure of more than $100,000. Thinking they could fund their own drug work, they walked away from the task force that provided numerous full time officers that would assist with all narcotic investigations as long as Fairmont followed the rules, which they were not willing to do over that greed. I believe the Martin County Sheriff’s office are members of that task force and make full use of their services. The cost of membership in that task force is probably less than $20,000. Too bad there is no way Fairmont would ever be allowed, let alone asked to rejoin. Look in the mirror Fairmont, this is what you wanted, too bad greed got in the way of law enforcement!

IronLone

Well this is just comical. they need more money? I have seen the houses the Fairmont pd drives in their off time, I have seen their houses. I have seen the toys they have, I remember after a bust a couple of years ago down the block from me, couple of the officers got new jet skis and 4-wheelers? hmmm maybe instead of buying toys they can invest in their own department. it all comes down to greed, if you go to any prepaid phone retailer now you will see your required to pay a fee that's says fire and police protection. why do they need more money if they are already getting money from every prepaid phone in the surrounding area. give me a break Fairmont pd, maybe if you weren't to busy pulling people over for stupid crap like window tint, or not signaling 100 ft from their turns, maybe you could crack on on this "meth problem" you claim is so bad, well I live in Fairmont, sure the meth is bad, but its only limited to a few tweekers, how about instead of letting them run free

IronLone

blue5011

There was a small accident in front of my house a few months ago. A few of us "civilians" cleaned it up and w/ in ten minutes three deputies screamed in from different directions. A Saturday afternoon, about four o'clock, I guess drug dealing hadn't started yet...

sentinelfan1

Since when is Fairmont comparable to Mankato in any way, shape or form?! And, who says the Fairmont police aren't rigging the game by charging people with crimes that are dismissed or plea bargained away? How do you create a problem? Invent a problem using statistics! We in this community are conservatives and we dislike Big Government. Yet here we are listening to someone who wants to increase the number of local overpaid government employees! If Fairmont has a drug problem, I know who should line up first to take a drug test. And that's anyone who supports this stupid plan to bring more cops to Fairmont. My taxes are high enough. I don't need another waste of money driving down the street in an SUV.

somerandomguy

I agree with the Chief that our current system is broken and we need some creative changes. Here are a few for the city counsel to consider:

Employ a "Jackson Model". Jackson disbanded their city police department and the city is now policed by the sheriff's office. A crime free Fairmont is a benefit to the whole county so why should only Fairmont citizens fund it?

The city needs to go the way of the state and make most if not all city ordinance violations "payables". This instantly removes the from the courts. This would also effectively eliminate the city attorney and that budget.

Enforce civilly those items that are currently criminalized...garbage violations for one. The city can simply issue a citation and if the mess is not cleaned up they can come, clean it up and bill the landowner. No police, no courts.

SONJACK

WOW SOUNDS LIKE THE VERDIT IS IN. FUNNY HOW THEY COUNT DRUG CRIMES AS SERIOUS REALLY.WITHOUT THESES CRIMES MOST OF THM WOULDNT HAVE A JOB OR BE NEEDED AT ALL.THE WAR ON DRUGS IS A JOKE.BIG GOVERMENT INCLUDES THE POLICE AND COURTS TIGHTEN YOUR BELTS AND WORK HARDER LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HAS HAD TO DO.NOOOOOOOOO MORE COPS

SONJACK

MOST OF THESE CRIMES THERE TALKING ABOUT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR ALOT OF YEARS YOU CANT BUST YOUR WAY OUT OF THE PROBLEM.THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A DRUG PROBLEM,AND EVEN WITH THIS HUGE BAD PROBLEM WE HAVE A VERY LOW CRIME RATE HUMMMMMMM REALLY

SONJACK

Among the worst of the crimes taking place in Fairmont is drug use, specifically methamphetamines. Officer Chad Sanow was able to focus full time on narcotics when he first started working for Fairmont PD in 2004. Not anymore. Going from 17 officers to 15, the department lost 4,000 man hours.

Meth use dropped for a couple of years, and pills picked up in 2012. But now meth is back and worse than ever, according to police.

blue5011

I thought we solved the meth problem by restricting sudafed sales? Did the liberals lie to me again?

"But now meth is back and worse than ever, according to police."

I would tell you that too, IF I wanted you to increase my funding. Faribault County built a 60 bed jail couple of years ago. Not because there was a need, but because the "powers that be" thought it would be a money-maker...

somerandomguy

To follow-up on Sentinelfan1's comment, maybe someone could explain to us all why we need a full-time police officer in the school when the high school Dean of Students already investigates crimes on campus, gathers evidence and interviews witnesses?